Admission Requirements

Applicants to the Graduate Center must have earned a bachelor’s from an accredited institution whose requirements for the degree are substantially equivalent to those of the City University of New York. In addition, the applicant must complete the prerequisites specified by the program, submit evidence that he or she shows promise of ability to carry out research, and be approved by the admissions committee of the program in which he or she intends to specialize.

Graduates of foreign colleges and universities who meet the standards of admission equivalent to those described above may be considered for admission to the City University’s doctoral programs. The applicant must present authoritative evidence of sufficient competence in the English language to pursue a regular course of study at the City University. An applicant who has not received a degree from a college or university located in the US, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia or New Zealand must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), administered internationally by Educational Testing Service, and request ETS to report examination results directly to the Admissions Office, the City University Graduate Center, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016. Inquiries concerning this examination may be made to: Test of English as a Foreign Language, Box 6151, Princeton, NJ 08540, U.S.A. or to most American embassies and consulates.

A student residing alone in New York City should have about $30,000 for the year to cover tuition, books, room, board, and personal expenses.

University assistance for which international students are eligible to compete is extremely limited and may not be adequate to fund the student’s total expenses. Before receiving a visa for entrance into the United States, students must certify (documentary evidence is required) that they are financially able to support themselves for the entire period of their stay in the United States while pursuing a full course of study.

A maximum of 30 acceptable graduate credits taken prior to admission to the doctoral program at the City University may be applied toward the degree provided the courses were completed with a grade of B or higher within an appropriate period preceding the time of application and are equivalent to comparable courses at the City University. In the case of master’s programs, a total of 12 credits may be approved for transfer. Exceptions to the above regulations may be considered under special circumstances. An evaluation of previously earned credits may be made before the end of the student’s first year in residence by the student’s program.